How Educational Toys Can Be Beneficial to Children

When your tiny tot grows in to a preschooler, you will find it very difficult to keep them busy. They will get easily bored of doing the same things over and over again and may even get hooked to watching television. Parents of today don't have enough time for their kids-that's a fact-and sending them out to play with the other children isn't always safe either. At such a time, investing in educational toys could be a great solution.
Educational toys are manufactured keeping in mind the various characteristics of kids in a particular age group. These toys are designed to keep kids engaged in paying for several hours. Along with entertaining the kids, educational toys can also provide children with some basic education that they will require in their school. As a parent, you just have to introduce your kids to such educational toys. These educational toys will improve your kids' fine motor skills and make them think logically.
Mentioned below are some of the very popular educational toys used all over the world, and how they can benefit your children.
• Building Blocks and Puzzles - You can select puzzles that are suitable for your kids' age group. Jigsaw puzzles are very good for your kids, as these puzzles make your kids think analytically. Building blocks are quite imaginative toys too. Your kids can make anything out of their imagination.
• Playing Computer Games - There are several video games that your kids can play in their spare time. There are various interesting and informative computer games that you should allow your kids to play. This will also teach your kids how to use the computer as well. It will be like preparing your kids to become computer-friendly.
• Chess - If you want your kids to become good in subjects like science and math, then introduce them to playing chess. Your kids will develop the skill of reasoning which is very important for their future.
• Board Games - You can teach your kids' some board games that they can play with their siblings or friends. These board games will bring the healthy competitive spirit in your kids. They will learn to accept success and failure in a better manner.
• Word Games - You can improve your kids' language by bring word games for them. There are several of them available right now, apart from the quintessential Scrabble.
As a parent, you certainly want your kids to be good at everything. Introducing your kids to educational toys will definitely be a good start for them. If you really want to unleash the potential of your child, choosing the right educational toy is of vital significance.

A Rewarding Career Awaits You in Education Jobs

As an education graduate, there are many job opportunities waiting for you. Schools and training centers are everywhere and they need the services of professionals just like you. However, you need to possess a degree in education in order to apply. In some countries, you need to pass their licensure examinations in order to teach. Once you've accomplished all requirements, you can land a job as a teacher in the following:

Early Childhood/Preschool
Do you enjoy toddlers? Do you love hanging out with little children? Being a preschool teacher offers lots of fun, excitement, and challenges. Here you get to spend a few hours everyday teaching kids how to draw, sing, dance, and many more. Most institutions require preschool teachers to hold an Early Childhood diploma or have relevant training in the field.

Primary and Intermediate
Being with older children is also rewarding. During these school years, students are introduced to the different subject areas to signal the beginning of their formal education. As a teacher, you'll be tasked to teach subjects like English, Science, Math, History, and many more.

High School
If teaching teenagers is what you're after, then being a high school teacher is just what you need. Aside from teaching the regular subjects, you may be assigned to serve as club adviser in student organizations like the school choir, glee club, school publication, and many others.

College
If you possess a Master's or Doctorate degree, teaching in college is your best option. You can teach in your specialized area or handle basic courses. The good thing about being a college professor is you have a more flexible schedule and lighter load compared to those teaching in the lower levels.

Special Education
One of the most highly paid education jobs is in the field of special education. If you've graduated with a degree in special education or have undergone training in teaching special or gifted children, you can apply in such education jobs. Special education teachers are paid higher and are very in demand abroad.

In case you don't want to work in the traditional school setting, you have the option to teach at the comfort of your own home. Being an online teacher or tutor proves to be one of the most popular education jobs today. Many foreign, non-English speakers are now using the web to learn a new language. You can either join a group of tutors or find your own students in the internet.

As a teacher, you can also expand your horizons and advance you career. After a few years in teaching, you can apply for administrative or supervisory education positions. You can work as a school principal, head of a particular department, or spearhead educational programs and reforms sponsored by the government or private sectors.

Working in the Education Sector

If you are smart and looking for a career that allows you to give back, than working in the education sector may be the right move for you. It can be a rewarding career choice and there are a variety of different education jobs to choose from. Several individuals have enjoyed their careers as educational leaders.

Teachers

The first position that comes to mind in the education sector is a teacher. Teaching is probably the most popular education job. Many people seek out teaching jobs because they offer flexibility. In addition, these individuals are often more gifted when it comes to training and coaching.

Faculty

In addition to teachers, there are a variety of different faculty positions available in the education field. A career as a faculty member is a rewarding choice. It allows you to influence the lives on many. Although you may not be directly involved with students, you will get to have a say on the policies that are created in the schools. This will indirectly affect many, and it will also be far reaching.

Staff

In addition to the members of the faculty, there are staff members that keep the school running. Without these people a school could not survive. Consider the value of a guidance counselor, a librarian, and a football coach. In addition, the support staff is extremely beneficial to the overall operations of the school. They get things done.

Many Levels

In addition to the different types of jobs available, there are many levels to the academic world. A person could teach kindergarten or they could choose to pursue a career as a professor. While one may require more work and time than the other, both are still great options. It depends on how much you want to invest into your career and where you see yourself in the future.

Research Opportunities

Those individuals that do pursue education careers at a higher level will have an opportunity to work with intelligent individuals. One of their jobs will be to continually research their specialty. Research opportunities on a college level could lead to books and more. The sky is the limit. It depends on what you want to make out of your career and what your goals are

Global Education

If we could represent the demographics of the world into a village of 100 people, what would it look like? If we gave that global village access to 161 billion gigabytes of data, what would they do with it? If six billion gigabytes of data were shared in email in 2006, what would it contain? Most important of all, how is this incredible rate of exponential change be reflected in the education of children today? Where is the education really coming from, in schools, at home or on-line?

A Global Village of 100 People

If we could reduce the world's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all existing human ratios remaining the same, the demographics would look something like this:

60 Asian

14 African

12 European

8 Latin American

5 US American and Canadian

Out of those 100 people:

51 would be male

49 would be female

The Standards of Living:

5 people (US citizens) would control 32% or the total wealth

80 would live in substandard housing

24 would not have any electricity

50 would be malnourished and 1 starving

33 would be without access to a safe water supply

67 are unable to read

7 people would have access to the Internet

1 would have a college education

Information Data Explosion in the Global Village

161 billion gigabytes of digital information was created, captured and replicated worldwide in 2006

More than one billion MP3 files were shared over the Internet in 2006

Almost 100 billion digital images were captured and shared using cell phone cameras

More than 500 billion digital images will be captured by 2010

Six billion gigabytes of data were emailed from one person to another in 2006 (excluding spam)

The number of emails grew three times faster than the number of people emailing from 1998 to 2006

Source: IDC & EMC Corp / The Expanding Digital Universe: A Forecast of Worldwide Information Growth Through 2010

What does this mean to Education?

A better question should be, "How should this be impacting are attention to education for children today?"

Did you know that 34 babies will be born in the next 8 seconds, 5 in India, 4 in China and 1 in the US. What will the world be like for them?

In 2006 there were over 1.3 million college graduates in the US, 3.1 million college graduates in India and 3.3 million college graduates in China.

How many of the college graduates in India speak English? 100%

In the next ten years it is predicted that China will be the number one English speaking country in the world.

The rate of change and development is increasing at an exponential pace. In ten years there will be courses and technology and topics that have not been invented yet. Social and cultural barriers are colliding, collapsing, merging and conflicting as rapidly as the access to real time communications, and far faster than political procedural doctrine can respond. How will the next generation use computers that are faster than the human brain, or capable of storing more data than the collective minds of the world population? How will the next generation be prepared for access to such knowledge in a changing world?

Tax Savvy Ways to Save For Your Child's Education

No matter how young your child may be, now is the time to start saving for their education.  Here are a few excellent ways to start saving now.
One of the best ways to save money when it is time to withdraw funds for your child's education is with a Coverdell Education Savings Account.  You can contribute up to $2000 annually until your child reaches eighteen years of age.  The deposits are not pre-tax, but the funds are not taxable upon withdrawal as long as they are used for education.
529 College Savings Plans are among the most popular educational savings programs.  There are two different types of 529 plans available.  The 529 College Savings Plan allows you different options for investing and your investment returns are not taxed as long as the money is used for education expenses.  The second 529 plan is the 529 Prepaid Tuition Plan.  It works sort of like prepaid fuel oil purchases.  You pay tuition based on the current cost and the plan allows you to hold that cost until your child begins attending college.
If you invest in special Savings Bonds for Education early enough, they can prove to be a good option for saving toward your child's education.  The program allows you to invest in bonds that can be withdrawn tax free if used for educational purposes.  You can, however, cash out the bonds in the event of some financial crisis, but you'll have to pay the taxes on the withdrawal since you are not using the funds for education.
If you have an older child and you are concerned about their college education because you have no savings in place, there are deductions, tax credits, and exemptions for which your child may qualify before and after enrollment.  For example, The American Opportunity Tax Credit has been improved and extended.  There is also the classroom expenses deduction, higher education tuition and fees deductions, as well as the lifetime learning credit.
It is important, if at all possible, to get a head start on your child's higher education costs.  Tuition and fees are reaching dramatic highs and as your children grow older, these cost promise only to rise.  One of the most important financial investments you can make as a parent is in the future education of your children.  Research and plan as far in advance as you possibly can in order to take advantage of the best programs available for your child's education.
Perhaps you should begin preparing for those education costs now, by consulting a financial planner.  A financial planner can give you top-notch recommendations on how to invest now, in order to guarantee your child's educational future.

The education of your child is very important expenses for you and sooner you start planning for it, better. There are many plans and schemes available there in the market. What are they? Which one will be just right for you? Chintamani Abhyankar provides useful tips and advice.